SEAPORT VILLAGE (KGTV) — San Diego's tourism industry is making a comeback, with business owners saying this Memorial Day weekend brought a much-needed boost after a slow stretch last year.
From Mission Beach to Seaport Village, a busy holiday weekend carried over into Memorial Monday, giving local shops and restaurants a lift they had been waiting for.
Skyler McManus, general manager of Hamels, said the turnout exceeded expectations.
"We're seeing a huge uptick, actually more than I thought was going to happen. It seems people are really trying to get out and about," McManus said.
At Sock Harbor in Seaport Village, supervisor Ramona Renteria said the energy this weekend was a welcome change.
"It was really busy, and it felt so good," Renteria said.
Renteria has worked at Sock Harbor for 7 years and says the village has had its ups and downs. She credits a new paint job and new restaurants for helping increase foot traffic in recent years.
"People coming down here from the ships, it's, um, the tourism is doing really good," Renteria said.
As a niche retailer, Renteria says Sock Harbor depends heavily on visitors to stay in business.
"It's a specific sock store. We also rely on you guys to forget your socks and underpack so you can come get some more socks and get some cool new styles and everything," Renteria said.
Tourism in 2025 was flat compared to previous years of growth, and Renteria says she noticed the difference.
"People were just kinda looking around and going back out the door," Renteria said.
But she does not expect a repeat of last year, citing stronger foot traffic and an uptick in cruise-ship visitors as reasons for optimism.
"The foot traffic has been a lot better. The cruise ships help as well. People coming down here from the ships, it's, um, the tourism is doing really good," Renteria said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
